Triple talaq bill debate: The Modi government is introducing a fresh bill on making instant triple talaq a penal offence because it had issued an ordinance in September and it has to be replaced with a bill within six months.

Triple talaq bill: The BJP has issued a whip to its Lok Sabha MPs to remain present in the House during the debate. (Photo: Reuters)

HIGHLIGHTS

Lok Sabha will today debate the triple talaq bill

Modi govt had passed an ordinance on triple talaq in September

As per law, ordinance has to be replaced by a bill within 6 months

The fact that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has issued a whip to its Lok Sabha MPs to remain present in the House during the debate on the triple talaq bill today (December 27), speaks volumes about the political importance this bill holds. The triple talaq bill or the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018 is being introduced in the Lok Sabha today because the Narendra Modi government had passed an ordinance in this regard in September.

As per law, an ordinance is valid only for six months from its promulgation. However, if Parliament is in session, the ordinance has to be replaced by a bill within 42 days (six weeks) from the day the session begins. A failure to do this will mean that the ordinance lapses.

The ongoing Winter Session of Parliament started on December 11.

However, the government is at liberty to re-promulgate the ordinance if the bill fails to get through Parliament.

The Modi government had earlier introduced a bill on triple talaq in Parliament. It was passed by the Lok Sabha but is pending in the Rajya Sabha, where the NDA does not enjoy a majority.

The Opposition in the Rajya Sabha had suggested some amendments in the bill and the impasse between the Opposition and the government did not end. As a result, the government has come up with a "fresh" bill and will introduce it in the Lok Sabha today. If the fresh bill is passed by the Lok Sabha, it will supersede the earlier bill.

Committed to make law on triple talaq: PM Modi

On December 22, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Centre was committed to make a law on triple talaq despite facing "hurdles" from "hardliners" and opposition parties in Parliament.

"We are committed so that Muslim women can get rid of a big life threat. Not just that, in order for Muslim women to go to Haj (pilgrimage), we have removed the clause that men need to accompany them," he said.

229 triple talaq cases after Supreme Court verdict: Govt

Meanwhile, speaking about the fresh bill, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that despite the Supreme Court striking down the practice of talaq-e-biddat (instant triple talaq), terming it unconstitutional, divorces in this form were taking place.

He cited details of instant triple talaq cases. Earlier in the Winter Session, the government informed the Lok Sabha that till now 430 incidents of triple talaq had come to the notice of the government through the media.

Of these, 229 were reported before the Supreme Court judgment, while another 201 came to the notice after it, news agency PTI said in a report.